The 14th summit of the African Union (AU) was held last week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, attended by Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero representing the EU. Zapatero stressed the necessity of achieving a "united and democratic Africa, sure of itself and working for prosperity".

"May this union become stronger each day and may the desire for peace be rewarded, may the story that is written about the African continent over the coming years be about development and cooperation", he said.

A key topic in the Spanish President's address to the AU was Somalia, where he argued the world was not doing enough to address the worsening security situation.

"Somalia is a risk if we do not provide much more support to the Transitional Federal Government; otherwise, Somalia will become a breading ground for the worst behaviours that destroy coexistence and close doors for generations", he said. "...terrorism, trade in human beings, kidnapping, drug trafficking and piracy demand a convincing and preventive response, and the commitment of the international community headed by the United Nations".

Meanwhile Pedro Serrano, Acting Head of Delegation of the European Union, told the UN Security Council that it is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty that the United Nations is central to the EU's international engagement.

"A genuine trilateral UN-AU-EU relationship is already in the making," Serrano said, noting that the EU has deployed two military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in support of the UN mission there (MONUC).

"The challenges facing the international community - poverty, conflict, terrorism, non-proliferation, climate change, are closely interlinked and of a magnitude that requires collective action," he said.

Sources:

• Angola Press
• The Spanish Presidency
• ReliefWeb
• Xinhua News